The Washington critic., 1887-12-31

n wcll-drcssed woman, with n costume
which might have come from Worth,
and with bonnet for which my wifc's
milliner would charge at least $50. She
had little basket in her hand not much
bigger than half-pcck measure, and
she was buying at the same counter
with myself She bought in small
quantities, and l sew her count out four
cents for little piece OF sausage, and
she asked the price of a single spray OF
celery. AS the fat, portly butcher turned
to show this, saw her seize an apple
from counter near by and begin to eat
1t ravenously. As she did so she caught
my eye and the blood rushed to her
face. She whispered:
Indeed, sir, | could not help it. l
am starving, and am, oh, so sick p
: A few days later / heard more Of her.
She was the daughter of a man of prom
inence in Western State. Her father
died few days ago, and she came here
to get an office. She pawncd her jew
elry and all her clothes except those
which she had on when saw her. She
was too proud to beg and her blue Vir-
ginia blood, for she was born in Rich
mond, would not permit her to accept
charity of the city. / doubt not the
pennies she paid for her marketing were
the last she had in the world, and l
could see in my mind the contrast be-
tween the little round piece of sausage,
hardly bigger than trade dollar, and
the single spray of celery and the two
cent pat of butter and the Apcius-lfke
dinners which her father so often gave,
and at which terrapin was served by the
gallon and champagne flowed like water.
PRICES.
Rib roasts costs 20 cents pound,
good porter-house Is worth 20 cents, and
you can get good beef tongue for so
cents. Partridges are worth $3.50 d
dozen, and rabbits with the skins on
cost 25 cents each. We get tomatoes
from Florida at 40 cents peck, and GU.
cumbers from the same State cost us 1C
cents apiece. Blue egg plants, as bitter
as quinine, are worth 35 cents, and new
string beans cost 25 cents a quarter Of Q
peck. Potatoes arc high, and they are
running now at about 40 to so cents q
peck. Celery is worth 10 cents bunch
Catawba grapes bring 80 cents box and
Malagas 20 cents q pound. Beets are
cheap, and you can get peck fol
30 cents. Apples are fine. Oranges
are worth 30 cents dozen and upward,
and cranberries cost only 12 cents 9
quart. The cheaper things of the mar
ket are low enough for any one, and the
staples are of such price that the dol
lar-a-day man can get very decent din
ner. The poor here, however, market by
the quarter of peck, and, of course
they pay two prices.
One of the daintiest things in the mar
ket is roast pig, and / saw a little CIR
looking longingly at one with lemor
in its mouth, while her mother, VIII,
was the wife of an army officer, was ex
amining a turkey for the Christmas d!n
ner. The hard-faced butcher, in Derby
hat, squeezed the turkeys neck so tina
the fat burst forth in rolls, and the lit
tie pig lay on his back with the lemoi
in his mouth, and posed for an artist.
THE FLOWER MARKETS
of Washington are very large, and W,
have single firms here, who sell as man,
as 10, 900 roses month. The diplomat
give many flowers to society bellies, anc
carnatipn pinks, violets and smila,
have been going of t,.is Christmas b.
the tens of thousands.